Wigan Warriors: Willie Isa states he is grateful to be on the verge of making his 250th Super League appearance

The 33-year-old could reach the landmark in Wigan Warriors’ game against Wakefield Trinity on Sunday afternoon at Belle Vue (K.O. 3pm).

Isa states he’s enjoyed such longevity by looking after himself and working hard.

“I’m a bit shocked really,” he said.

“I never thought I would get this far to be honest. I’m one of those guys who will always try hard and train well, giving the best possible version of myself each week.

“There’s no secret (behind my longevity), I just look after my body the best I can. It’s the basics of being an athlete. I don’t drink, and my teammates say that it helps me a lot, but I still dish out a lot of rounds for them.

“I’ve never drunk before, I was probably too busy when I was younger.

“I enjoy the everyday things, I’ve had different teams, but nothing really changes. The respect we have is important, and there’s something special about when you are involved in sport, because you have a common goal which you go for.

“I’ve got plenty of great memories but I couldn’t pick one.

“It’s important for me to give back. Not only to the club, but I represent my family and all those people who worked hard for me when I was younger, there are too many to name. I’m always grateful.”

Isa is expecting a tough test from Wakefield this weekend, and isn’t reading into their 74-10 defeat to Salford.

“Individually they have strong players. I didn’t watch their game and only heard about it in training, so that doesn’t really come into consideration and I’ll pass that message to the lads,” he added.

“When Wakefield are playing at home, it’s always tough, and players will step up. I’m looking forward to a good challenge.

“If you allow them to play their free-flowing rugby league then it would be a hard day for any team. We’ve got to do our best to limit that.

“We are trying to challenge ourselves as a group, and the coaches do a great job in doing that. It’s refreshing every week because different teams bring different things, which helps us as a team.

“The coaches started this job right from pre-season, setting the tone of how they want this team to act, play and feel, not just on the field, but off it as well. We are trying to do our best as men, and rugby league follows.

“It’s a collaboration here, Matty Peet has said that, and he’s got Sean O’Loughlin and Lee Briers next to him, so it’s not rocket science, but three heads are better than one. It’s for us as players to pick their brains.

“The ideas that are being implemented are refreshing for us older boys, and hopefully our fans are benefitting from this as they deserve this.”